Electric cigar lighter



Nov. 11,1941;

P. E. ASHTON ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Filed Nov. 11, 1956 INVENTOR TTORNEY Patented Nov. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CIGAR LIGHTER Philip E. Ashton, Meriden, Conn.

Application November 11, 1936, Serial No. 110,225

8 Claims.

This invention relates to igniting devices of the type in which the igniter element is detachably mounted in a support and in which there is a switch for automatically opening the circuit when the igniter is ready for use.

One object is to provide a construction which is simple and reliable.

Another object is to provide a type of socket and switch mechanism which can be adjusted to operate properly under conditions which may exist at any particular time.

Another object is to provide a device with a thermostatic switch which can be adjusted to difiering conditions.

Cigar lighters of this character are subject to severe mechanical as well as electrical stresses and are therefore likely to get out of order.

One object of the invention therefore is to provide a construction of this character .which is normally unlikely to become disorganized but which can in case of necessity be adjusted to offset irregularities which may occur by reason of careless use.

The invention as shown is an improved form of the device of United States Patent 2,084,966 dated June 22, 1937, and also embodies means by which the device may be adjusted.

Fig. 1 shows the socket in longitudinal section and the igniter plug or unit in side View, the parts of the switch being shown in full lines in the open circuit position and the igniter unit in the position which it normally occupies when at rest. This also shows the switch member dotted in the closed circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a side view and partial section of elements of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the adjusting lever with the thermostatic latch in section. on the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the igniter unit and some of the switch elements with parts in section.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the parts in full lines in. the position which they occupy when the plug is pushed in to close the switch and showing the plug and release mechanism dotted in the position which they occupy when the plug has been manually released.

The igniter unit or plug has an insulating body I and carries a suitable form of incandescible igniter coil 8 which has an external contact terminal 9 in the form of a ring or cup and has its center connected to a second contact terminal II] which is preferably in th form of a ring. A groove 1' is formed immediately forward of the contact terminal [0.

The socket element or support II is connected to one terminal of the battery or other electric power source and has one or more spring fingers l2 which are adapted to press against the plug to hold it in position in the socket and also at suitable times to make electrical contact with the terminal ring 10. For this purpose the contact finger is provided with a shoulder l3 which is adapted to press into groove I and engage a shoulder 14 to frictionally hold the plug unit in the socket in the position shown in Fig. 1.

The switch includes a terminal [5 which is adapted to engage the terminal 9 of the igniter coil. The electrical conductor 16 is connected to the tubular terminal [1 which is mounted in an insulating piece [8 which in turn is secured in the base of the socket l l. A disc I9 is mounted on the insulating piece [8 and electrically connected with the tube H and constitutes a support for the bimetallic thermostatic latch member 20. This latch member has a hook or shoulder 2|. The switch member 22 has a shoulder with an inclined approach adapted to coact with the latch hook 2|. This switch member 22 is preferably in the form of a disc mounted to slide on the rod 23 which carries the contact terminal I5. This rod 23 is supported in the socket at one end by a disc-like member 24 which is insulated from the rod and slides in the socket II. This rod 23 has a shoulder 25 serving as an abutment for the switch member 22 when the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The switch member 22 has a hub 26 slidable in the sleeve or cup 21 which is mount-ed on the rod 23 between the shoulder 28 and the insulating bushing 29 which is mounted to slide in the tube I1 inside of the insulating disc I8. A spring 30 is mounted at one end on the hub 3| of the insulating disc I8 and at the other end is mounted on the sleeve 21 and presses against the flange 32. This spring is biased so as to tend to press the sleeve or cup member 21 in the direction toward the inserted igniter unit.

Another spring 33 is mounted on the rod 23 between the base of the cup member 21 and a shoulder at the rear of the switch member 22 preferably in recess 34.

A lever 35 is secured to the thermostatic latch member 20 and for convenience in construction or assembly is provided with an opening 36 so that the lever is in the form of a ring which surrounds the spring 30. An adjusting screw 31 is supported in the insulating disc l8 in a conventional manner and engages in one end of the lever 35 so that by turning the screw 31 in one direction or the other the lever may be moved so as to adjust the thermostatic member 20 toward or from the switch member 22.

To heat up the igniter coil the plug 1 is pushed the thermostatic element 20 sufiiciently long to raise its temperature and warp it to the proper extent it will release the hook 2| from the shoulder of the switch member 22. The spring 33 will then snap the switch member 22 from the dotted line position of Fig. 1 to the full line position of Fig. 1 thus opening the circuit and preventing overheating of the igniter.

The socket H is preferably provided with an opening 38 for ventilation of the sleeve adjacent the thermostatic latch. It will be seen that the action of the thermostatic release is dependent upon the temperature created by the resistance of the thermostatic element 20 and independently of the temperature of the igniter coil 8. thermostatic latch 20 may, however, be adjusted by the action of the screw 3'! so .as to open the circuit. after any predetermined period of time.

It will also be noted from the foregoing that itis impossible to overheat and ruin the igniter by attempting to hold the plug pressed in to the socket. The reason for this is that when the plug is pressed :in no current passes through it. The plug must be released manually and brought back to the position of Fig. 1 before current is turned on .at which time the switch element 22 is left free to be released and moved 'to the open circuit position when the thermostatic latch 20 has been actuated.

I claim:

1. In a cigar lighter, a socket for a removable igniter plug, an insulating disc across the inner end of the socket, a circuit terminal secured to said disc, a thermostatic latch member supported by said disc and electrically connected to said circuit terminal, a switch member reciprocable in the socket and coacting with said latch member and means for adjusting said latch member withrespect to said switch member.

2. In .a cigar lighter, a socket, a tubular circuit terminal secured in the inner end of the socket, a thermostatic latch connected to said terminal, and, a switch member guided in said tubular terminal and coacting with said latch.

This

3. In a cigar lighter, a socket comprising, a contact adapted to be engaged by an inserted igniter plug, a rod connected thereto, a switch member slidable on said rod, a spring for pressing said rod and contact in a direction outwardly of the socket, a second spring for moving said switch member on said rod, a thermostatic latch carried by the socket and coacting with said switch member to hold it in retracted position and means for adjusting. said latch.

4. In a cigar lighter, a socket comprising, a rod and contact slidable in the socket, a guide for the inner end of the rod, a spring surroundin'g said rod, an abutment on the rod, a switch member slidable on the rod, a spring between the abutment and the switch member and a thermostatic latch for the switch member.

5. In a cigar lighter, a socket having an open outer end and a closed rear end, said socket comprising an insulating disc across the rear end, a tubular member mounted in the disc, a slidable contact for an igniter contact, a rod connected to said slidable contact and having means for guiding it in the tubular member, an abutment member carried by the rod, a spring between the abutment member and said disc, a switch member slidable on said rod, a second spring between said switch member and said abutment member and a latch for said switch member.

6. In a cigar lighter, a socket, a contact and connected rod slidable in the socket, a cup-like abutment carried by-said rod and having a flange, a spring interposed between said flange and the rear end of the socket, aswitch member slidable on said rod, a spring interposed between said abutment and said switch member, and a latch coacting with said switch member.

7. In a cigar lighter, a socket having a guiding member at the inner end, a contact member slidably mounted in the socket,.a rod connected to said contact member and guided in said guiding member, a member mounted to slide upon said rod, springs for moving said contact member and said sliding member and a thermostatically actuated latch coacting with said sliding member to hold it in one position.

8. A cigar lighter comprising two parts, a socket and plug, an igniter carried by the plug, contacts on :each part for cooperation with contacts on the other part, a thermostatic latch carried by one'part, a slidably. adjustable member-contacting with said latch to adjust its effective length and flexibility, and means for manually adjusting said slidable member irrespective'of whether said plug and socketcontacts are engaged.

PHILIP E..ASHTON. 

